Indicia wheel display device having a selectively rotated wheel shaft



Feb. 20, 1968 P. BRUNETTE 3,370,291

INDICIA WHEEL DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING A SELECTIVELY ROTATED WHEEL SHAFT Filed June 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 03 W IHII' a N 3 N m .J J O O 8 w w //VVEN7'0R PAUL BRUNETTE AGENT Feb. 20, 1968 r P. BRUNETTE INDICIA WHEEL DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING A SELECTIVELY ROTATED WhEEL SHAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1965 INVENTOR PAUL BRUNETTE nmm United States Patent 3,370,291 INDICIA WHEEL DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING A SELECTIVELY ROTATED WHEEL SHAFT Paul Brunette, Otterbum Heights, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor to Northern Electric Company Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 461,104 7 Claims. (Cl. 340-378) This invention relates to display devices and more particularly to character display devices.

The dis-play device of the invention might be incorporated in stock exchange marketing boards, airline, railroad or ships arrival and departure boards, sports score boards, police car patrol location boards, elevator floor location reading, instrumentalities, etc.

Another application for the above device might be in visual signalling applications between battleships or ground forces.

A number of devices exist in the prior art for displaying characters. A first display device which is well known comprises aplurality of lights which may be individually and selectively energized by electrical circuits for forming the outline of a particular character.

A second group of prior art devices contemplates a single source which is directed toward a stack of movable plates, each carrying a particular character outline, and each of which may be displayed by displacing it from the common stock so that it alone is properly positioned for direct observation.

A third prior are display device contemplates the use of a single light directed toward a stack of overlapping plates, each of which is perforated in selected areas and selected ones of which are movable so as to let the light pass successively through each of the plates to form the outline of a particular character on a screen.

The above first prior art device requires multiple illumination sources and therefore develops a large amount of heat specially when used indoor. The second and third prior art devices require complex and expensive mechanisms for moving the stacked plates. Furthermore the third prior art display device is not very bright because the light has to pass through a series of superimposed plates.

The disadvantages of the above prior art devices are overcome in accordance with the present invention by providing a wheel having the characters to be displayed spaced about its periphery. The wheel is mounted on a shaft for rotation and actuated by a plurality of solenoids one for each character on the wheel. The wheel may take the form of a drum and a light may be positioned within the drum for illuminating the characters when required.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of three display devices grouped together;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the display device in accordance with the invention with the top part of the housing cut away;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the display device with the side cover taken off; and

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram for energizing the display device.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a three digit display device consisting of display devices 11, 12 and 13 grouped together. Display devices 11, 12 and 13 have screens 14, 15 and 16 respectively each of which displays an individual digit. It is understood however that any number of these devices may be grouped together dependent on each particular application.

In FIGURES 2 and 3, there is shown a single display 3,370,291 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 device comprising a housing 17 containing a wheel or drum 18 mounted for rotation on a shaft 19 secured to housing 17. The drum 18 is preferably made of opalescent plastic material and has digits 0-9 spaced about its periphery. The area around each digit is usually black and the digits white. The digits inscribed on the periphery of the wheel are arranged to be displayed for viewing individually through a window 20 in a wall 21 of housing 17 The wheel is operated by solenoids 1-9 attached to a bracket 22 secured inside housing 17. There is one solenoid for each digit 19 on wheel 18. Each solenoid comprises a coil which when a current flows through it, will act as a magnet and tend to pull a movable iron core 23 to a central position within the coil. Iron coils 23 are provided with adjustable stops 23a which are positioned at predetermined locations along the length of each core. Solenoids 1-9 are connected to a terminal 23b at the rear of housing 17 A flexible cable 24 is attached to each iron core 23. The other end of each cable is wound a few turns around shaft 19 and secured thereto. Shaft 19 carries a number of holes 25 through which passes the end of each cable to be secured thereto. The various holes 25 are separated by washers 26 between which the flexible cables are wound.

A return spring 27 is attached at one end to bracket 22 and at the other end to a flexible cable 27a which is wound a few turns around shaft 19 and secured thereto. When solenoids 1-9 are not energized, return spring 27 urges wheel 21 clockwise to a position in which a dog 28 on wheel 18 engages an abutment 29 on the side of housing 17. At such a position digit 0 appears at window 20.

FIGURE 4 shows a circuit diagram suitable for energization of solenoids 1-9. Solenoids 19 are connected in series with switches S1-S9 respectively and adapted to be selectively energized by a battery B upon closure of a se lected switch.

In response to energization of a predetermined solenoid the associated core 23 is drawn within the solenoid until stop 23a abuts the edge of the coil. The flexible member 24 attached to core 23 will rotate wheel 18 through an are proportional to the distance between stop 23a and the edge of coil of the solenoid. The are through which wheel 18 is rotated will determine the digit to be displayed at window 20.

In order to more accurately position the digits 0-9 at window 20, drum 18 may carry soft iron rivets 30 between each digit. The rivets 30 cooperate with a permanent magnet 31 positioned on the bottom of housing 17.

In most instances, it is desirable to illuminate the displayed numbers. Therefore a lamp and socket assembly 32 is provided within drum 18 for illuminating the opalescent digits 0-9.

The display device may also include a lens 33 positioned in front of window 20 to magnify the outline of each digit appearing at window 20 and project its image to a depolish'ed screen 34 of glass or plastic.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is understood that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the optical system may not be needed, in which case the housing 17 would terminate at Wall 21 and the characters would be seen at the window 20. In this case, the characters could be printed on the periphery of an ordinary wheel and lamp assembly 32 eliminated.

In another form of the invention drum 18 could be made of metal with plastic digits around the periphery.

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising a frame, ashaft rotatably journalled on the frame, a wheel secured to the shaft and having characters spaced around its periphery, a

wall mounted on the frame adjacent the wheel periphery and having a window therein, and means for rotating the wheel to selectively position the characters at said window, said means comprising an elongated flexible member for each character having one end secured to the shaft and being wound thereon, and separate pulling means for each flexible member mounted on the frame, each member being attached at its other end to the respective pulling means, said pulling means being selectively operable to unwind the flexible member from the shaft predetermined differential amounts whereby the wheel is rotated to position the respective character at the window.

2. A display device comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably journalled in said housing, a wheel mounted on the shaft, said wheel having opalescent characters spaced about its periphery, said housing having an inside wall having a window therein, and means for rotating said wheel to display a character at said window, said means comprising an elongated flexible member for each character having one end secured to the shaft and being wound thereon, and separate pulling means for each flexible member mounted on the frame, each member being attached at its other end to the respective pulling means, saidpulling means being selectively operable to unwind the flexible members from the shaft predetermined differential amounts whereby the wheel is rotated to position the respective character at the window, said housing further including means for illuminating the opalescent characters, optical means positioned in front of the window f r magnifying the character at the window and a depolishcd transparent screen forming a front wall of the housing for viewing the magnified image of the character appearing at the window.

3. A display device as defined in claim 2 in which said pulling means are solenoids having movable armatures, each armature including adjustable stop means positioned at predetermined locations along the length thereof to control its stroke.

4. A display device as defined in claim 2 including cooperating abutments on said wheel and said housing and spring means urging said wheel against the action of said pulling means to return said wheel after each energization thereof to a position where the above abutments contact each other.

5. A display device as defined in claim 2 including means to separate the flexible members Wound on said shaft.

6. A display device as defined in claim 2 including means to accurately position each character in front of the window comprising soft iron rivets regularly spaced about the wheel and adapted to cooperate with a permanent magnet secured to the housing.

7. A display device as defined in claim 1 in which the characters on the wheel are made of opalescent material and further including means for illuminating the opalescent characters.

No references cited.

JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner.

H. I. PITTS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, A SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED ON THE FRAME, A WHEEL SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND HAVING CHARACTERS SPACED AROUND ITS PERIPHERY, A WALL MOUNTED ON THE FRAME ADJACENT THE WHEEL PERIPHERY AND HAVING A WINDOW THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE WHEEL TO SELECTIVELY POSITION THE CHARACTERS AT SAID WINDOW, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER FOR EACH CHARACTER HAVING ONE END SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND BEING WOUND THEREON, AND SEPARATE PULLING MEANS FOR EACH FLEXIBLE MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE FRAME, EACH MEMBER BEING ATTACHED AT ITS OTHER END TO THE RESPECTIVE PULLING MEANS, SAID PULLING MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE TO UNWIND THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER FROM THE SHAFT PREDETERMINED DIFFERENTIAL AMOUNTS WHEREBY THE WHEEL IS ROTATED TO POSITION THE RESPECTIVE CHARACTER AT THE WINDOW. 